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PC user groups started out as a way for computer afficionados to share both information and their love of the machine. At that time -- more than 10 years ago --their goals and interests had little to do with corporate computing strategies.
But times have changed, and while most local-user groups still offer a forum for individual users to share tips -- and gripes -- a new type of group has sprung up. Not actually "user" groups at all, these organizations have attracted corporate PC professionals hoping to use their collective purchasing clout to lobby PC vendors. "If a vendor gets a strong message from a large organization it has no choice but to listen," said Pat Adams, a New York-based consultant and secretary of the International Dbase User Group (IDBUG).
In an era when companies are increasingly viewing information technology as a strategic advantage, active participation in these groups has become a crucial part of many PC professionals' jobs.
"Our members are becoming overwhelmed because PC technology is changing faster all the time," said Julian Horwich, director of the Chicago Association for Computer Professionals (CAMP). "It's broadening and getting deeper," he said. PC managers are feeling squeezed because of the dramatic increase in the amount of support work required of them without a subsequent increase in the amount spent on staffing support groups, he added.
STRENGTH IN NUMBERS. As one of the more powerful regional PC manager groups, New York's Microcomputer Managers Association (MMA) has successfully exerted its influence on vendors. The MMA is now working to expand into a national group with regional chapters.
The first white paper the MMA put out a few years ago put software vendors on notice that members were displeased with how upgrades were being handled. "Corporate computer managers can take six to 12 months to install a new version of software," said Brian Livingston, chairman of the MMA's micro standards committee. "They'd prefer not to get a buggy version and then a fix disk two months later. I think we've seen that more and more companies are waiting until the products are actually done before sending them out," he added.
Lotus Development Corp., in particular, was impressed by the importance of this issue, according to Priscilla...